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The vegetative growth habit as well as the yield of seven pomegranate varieties native to Southeastern Spain was studied. The evaluated cultivars were: Mollar de Elche 14 and 15 (“ME14” and “ME15”), Pinon tierno de Ojos 2, 4, 7 and 8 (“PTO2”, “PTO4”, “PTO7” and “PTO8”) and Casta del Reino 1 (“CRO1”). Very short vegetative shoots bearing a rosette of leaves behave as photosynthetic units. These units were abundant in all evaluated varieties; approximately 50% of all buds yielded this type of shoot unit. The other 50% were either mixed shoots or shoots with apical flower buds. Moreover, there appeared to be a tendency of the “PTO” varietal group and the “CRO1” cultivar to produce a higher number of mixed shoots than the ME varietal group. The Mollar de Elche varieties yielded longer mixed shoots than prompt lateral ones. The “PTO” varietal group and the “CRO1” cultivar approximately produced from 2 to 4 length units of prompt lateral shoots per each mixed shoot unit. An inversely proportional relationship was established between the length of prompt lateral shoots and each variety's fruit yield.

This study evaluated the characteristics of six pomegranate cultivars (Sefri, Ounk Hman, Ruby, Rouge Marrakech, Bouaâdime and Jaune Marrakech). All are indigenous to four provinces in Morocco where the species shows high variability. Morphological and organoleptic characterizations of the fruits and arils were investigated. Some chemical characteristics of the juice, including total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity (TA), crude fiber and maturity index were assessed. The morphological characteristics of both the arils and seed were evaluated. The organoleptic characteristics of all were also considered, and Rouge Marrakech and Jaune Marrakech were the cultivars the sensory panel granted major acceptance for. Furthermore, Rouge Marrakech and Ruby showed the heaviest arils and Bouaâdime the lightest. The latter variety presented the highest values for crude fiber content, total soluble solids and titratable acidity (TA); its flavor could be classified as sour-sweet, while the remaining studied cultivars are classified as sweet. All of them can be considered acceptable for fresh consumption, and the cultivars receiving the highest overall assessment were Rouge Marrakech and Jaune Marrakech. The fact that these two cultivars were the only ones presenting soft seeds was influential in this high assessment. By and large, this is an interesting plant material due to its exploitation and value, useful for the food and nutraceutical industries.

Six pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars belonging to the ‘Mollar’ group were evaluated under homogeneus growing conditions. Chemical parameters, such as sugars, organic acids, and anthocyanin contents, and other quality parameters, including fruit weight, pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and colour, were evaluated. Fruit weight was not significantly affected by cultivar. The highest TSS content was detected in juice from MO6 (15.81 °Brix). All cultivars were sweet, and the ripening index ranged from 59.14 (ME5) to 87.95 (MO6). The composition of pomegranate juice was dependent on the cultivar. Glucose was the major sugar in all evaluated cultivars (60–64% of total sugars), followed by fructose, maltose, and sucrose. Among the detected organic acids, citric acid was the predominant (>54%). The total anthocyanin content ranged from 72 to 200 mg per litre of juice, being the main anthocyanin cyanidin 3-glucoside followed by cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside. The principal component analysis and cl...

The aim of this study was to contribute to the chemical, functional and qualitative characterisation of Japanese plum (Prunus salicina L., cv. Red Beaut, genotype “606”) cultivated with and without a mulching plastic by investigating the organic acids and sugars profiles, the total antioxidant activity and total polyphenols content, the volatile composition and the sensory profile. Results indicated that total sugars, organic acids contents and the total concentration of volatile compounds were slightly higher in plums from trees with the mulching plastic film being used as a cultural practice, although differences were not statistically significant. Sixteen compounds were isolated from the volatile fraction from six different chemical families: aldehydes, monoterpenes, monoterpenoids, phenylpropanoids, acids and ketones. The major compounds in the volatile profile of plum juices were trans-linalool oxide, terpinolene, nonanal and α-terpineol. However, total antioxidant activity, total polyphenols content and the sweetness intensity were decreased by the use of the mulching plastic. Therefore, mulching with plastic materials with high light reflectance (e.g. white) seemed to be required to improve the quality of plums.

The interest in Ziziphus jujube is growing because it is an excellent source of nutrients and phytochemicals, and can contribute to a healthy diet. Nutritional compounds (phenolic compounds and L-ascorbic acid), and antioxidant capacity of 4 Spanish jujube cultivars were studied. Polyphenols were identified by LC-MS-QTof and quantified by UPLC-PDA-FL. A total of 25 polyphenolic compounds were identified and classified as 10 flavan-3-ols, 13 flavonols, 1 flavanone, and 1 dihydrochalcone. The content of total polyphenols (TP) ranged from 1442 to 3432 mg/100 g dry matter (dm) in fruits of the cultivars 'DAT' and 'PSI', respectively. Flavan-3-ols, the major group of polyphenols in jujube represented ∼92% of the TP content, whereas flavonols only amounted for about ∼8% each. The content of L-ascorbic acid was very high and took values in the range of 387-555 mg/100 g fresh weight (fw). Some Spanish jujube cultivars, especially 'PSI' and 'MSI', may be selected to promote the growth of cultivars with valuable nutritional and phytochemical beneficial effects on human health.

One of the most important parameters to which consumers are sensitive when selecting jams is the colour. Anthocyanin and colour development of pomegranate jams made from the ‘Mollar’ cultivar were analysed during five months. Different temperatures (5 °C and 25 °C) and light exposures (daylight and darkness) were tested during storage. Also the influence of pectin on jam preparation was evaluated. The results concluded that high methoxy pectins yielded better pomegranate jams because of their high a * values (34% higher than low methoxy ones). Optimal storage conditions were achieved at 5 °C with no light exposure at all.

In this work, some organoleptic and nutritive parameters related to fruit quality (color, firmness, total soluble solids, and total acidity), the content of bioactive compounds (total phenolics and total carotenoids) as well as the total antioxidant activity (TAA) due to hydrophilic (H-TAA) and lipophilic (L-TAA) compounds have been determined in both skin and flesh of 10 flat peach and nectarine genotypes (7 peaches and 3 nectarines). Results showed that genotype plays an important role in determining the organoleptic and nutritive quality, as well as the concentration of bioactive compounds and the related TAA, since these parameters differed largely among cultivars. Overall data suggest that for commercial purposes and consumer's acceptability (based on color, firmness, acidity, and bioactive compounds), the flat nectarine “ASF-06-83” and the flat peaches “Sweet Cap” and “ASF-06-91” could be considered as the best cultivars. Additionally, it is suggested that the content of bioactive compounds should be included as an important factor in future breeding program to obtain new genotypes with enhanced bioactive compounds. Practical Application: Genotype of flat peaches and nectarines plays an important role in determining the organoleptic and nutritive quality, as well as the content of bioactive compounds. Given the differences on bioactive compounds concentration and antioxidant activity among peaches and nectarines flat cultivars, these parameters should be included as an important factor in future breeding program to obtain new genotypes with enhanced bioactive compounds.

Fruits of 9 Spanish pomegranate cultivars were analyzed for quality parameters, volatile composition, and sensory profile. Volatile compounds were extracted using headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Twenty-one compounds were found in the headspace of fresh pomegranate juices, including aldehydes, monoterpenes, and alcohols. The most abundant compounds were hexanal, limonene, trans-2-hexenal, and cis-3-hexenol. Fruits from the cultivars Mollar Elche(ME) ME14, ME1, and ME2 presented the highest values of overall liking by the consumer panel; however, their total volatiles concentration were low compared to the other pomegranate cultivars and their color intensity was intermediate. Overall consumer liking of pomegranate juices was mainly associated with the presence of monoterpenes (α-terpineol); however, high aldehydes (trans-2-hexenal) concentrations were correlated with poor overall consumer liking. Fruits from sour-sweet cultivars (PTO7 and ADO4) could improve the quality of ME pomegranate juices due to their intense color, high monoterpenes concentrations, and their moderate sourness. Practical Application: The information provided in this study proves that sour-sweet pomegranate fruits can be used in the manufacturing of pomegranate juices and will improve the sensory quality and the volatile composition of this product.

23 p., 6 Tabl. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03044238, The influence of five rootstocks (Evrica, Krymsk® 86, Torinel, PAC 00-08 and PADAC 01-47) on flowering, fruit set, trunk cross-sectional area, yield efficiency and fruit quality parameters of apricot cultivars (Prunus armeniaca L.) grown in a Mediterranean agro-climatic environment was evaluated. The five rootstocks were grafted with ‘E-101’ and ‘E-404’ apricot cvs., and established in an experimental orchard in the Region of Murcia (South-eastern of Spain) in 2004. Rootstock had no significant influence on the number of flowers but affected fruit set. Evrica, PAC 00-08 and PADAC 01-47, induced a higher percentage of fruit set on the apricot cultivar ‘E-101’. The greatest TCSA was exhibited with Torinel, Evrica and PADAC 01-47. The yield efficiency was significantly greater on PADAC 01-47, because of its higher yield and cumulative production compared with the other rootstocks. Thus, differences in precocity among rootstocks became evident, PADAC 01-47 being the most efficient rootstock for the first bearing years. The fruit quality traits were also significantly affected by rootstocks. In the case of ‘E-101’, the highest fruit weight was induced by Evrica, Krymsk® 86 and Torinel. In relation to fruit size, the smallest equatorial, suture and polar diameters were produced by fruit on PADAC 01-47 for both cultivars. The highest firmness was induced by PAC 00-08 for ‘E-101’, while in ‘E-404’ the highest firmness was induced by PADAC 01-47. The colour of fruit was also affected by the rootstock. The brightest coloured skin (high L* values) was found on Evrica, PADAC 01-47, Torinel and Krymsk® 86. The fruit weight was positively correlated with pulp yield and negatively correlated with TCSA. According to these results, higher fruit quality was found on PADAC 01-47 and Evrica., The authors are grateful to Selecplant, S.L. (Murcia, Spain) for providing an experimental site and maintain the trial in optimum conditions throughout the study.

Since quince (Cydonia oblonga) currently shows high genetic variability, along with the precarious state of preservation of the species in some cultivation areas, the study evaluated morphological, chemical and organoleptically five quince clones (MEMB1, MEMB2, MEMB3, MEMB4, and MEMB5) in the Southeast of Spain. Leaf characterisation generally showed ovate leaves, cordate base, mucronated apex and obtuse apex angle. Globose fruits predominated in all clones. Total soluble solids (TSS) ranged from 11.5 °Brix to 14.7 °Brix), and the predominant sugars were fructose and glucose; MEMB3 yielded the highest sugar content of all (17.93%). While malic was the main organic acid (0.78%) followed by tartaric (0.22%), quince juice yielded very low citric acid (0.009–0.014%). Besides, quince generally showed high crude fiber contents (8.14% for MEMB1), low fat contents and can weight up to 290 g. The characterised clones were appropriate for both fresh consumption and processing due to their semi-hard pulp and low astringency.

Since pomegranate is a fruit tree species showing high plant diversity, molecular techniques are required to quickly and precisely characterize and certify different cultivated varieties. The study evaluates a genetic method to identify pomegranate cultivars. The procedure is based on the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLP) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) techniques. Ten pomegranate accessions from the varietal groups Mollar de Elche, Mollar de Albatera, Mollar de Orihuela, Valencianas and Bordes were evaluated. The results prove the appropriateness of the PCR–RFLP technique for identifying pomegranate cultivars. All evaluated cultivars were differentiated according to their genetic profiles. There is a low correlation between pomegranate morphological and genetic traits on this study.

This study investigates the influence of a commercial product, Biopron ® , consisting of the bacteria Azospirillum brasilense and Pantoea dispersa on sweet pepper fruits ( Capsicum annuum L.) under limited N supply. When the N supply was reduced from 12 (control) to 7 mmol L −1 , the concentration of total-N in the fruits was significantly reduced in both inoculated and non-inoculated plants. The N supply or inoculation did not affect the dry matter content or fruit firmness, but non-inoculated fruit with low N showed a decrease in pericarp thickness and a significant increase in the color parameter a * compared with the control. Under limited N, inoculation increased the concentration of citric, ascorbic and succinic acids in green fruit compared with non-inoculated fruit, which showed lower values than control fruit. At a later (yellow) stage of development, only succinic acid showed a response to inoculation. Fruit peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) activity in fruit of inoculated plants was lower than that observed for non-inoculated fruit grown at both high- and low-N. In contrast, in yellow fruit, total phenolic compounds were increased under N limitation, with no inoculation effect. Our study shows that the effect of plant associative bacteria is not directly related with the increased potential availability of nutrients for uptake, especially for fruit quality characteristics.

Few studies have been performed on changes in organoleptic, nutritive, functional, and physiological properties during jujube fruit development and on-tree ripening. In this work, a comparative study on the evolution of physical, chemical, nutritive, and physiological parameters and bioactive compounds of two Spanish jujube cultivars was performed.Both cultivars showed a non-climacteric ripening pattern, although the JM cultivar was smaller, sweeter, softer, and more highly coloured than the JG, which was characterised by having larger and firmer fruits, although less sweet and coloured. Both cultivars showed high TAA, which was highly correlated with the concentration of total phenols, giving them great functional properties.This fruit has little economic importance in Spain and it is just marginally grown for self-consumption or for ornamental purposes. Given the excellent properties of these fruits, it could be considered a fruit species of great interest, and commercial growth of these cultivars with high yields and fruits with high functional properties should be promoted. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different dying methods, such as convective drying (CD: 50, 60, 70 °C), vacuum-microwave drying (VMD: 120, 480, 480-120 W), a combination of convective pre-drying and vacuum-microwave finish drying [(CPD (60 °C)-VMFD (480-120 W)], and freeze-drying (FD) on key quality parameters of dried jujube fruits (cv. "GAL", "MSI", and "PSI"). The parameters studied included bioactive compounds (flavan-3-ols and flavonols, identified by LC-PDA-MS, and vitamin C), antioxidant capacity (ABTS and FRAP), and sensory attributes (e.g. hardness, jujube-ID, and sweetness). The best quality of the dried product (high contents of bioactive compounds and high intensity of key sensory attributes) was found in fruits treated by FD and VMD 480-120 W. The best cultivars were "PSI" and "GAL" from the point of view of bioactive content and sensory quality, respectively.

The influence of three irrigation treatments (T0, no stress; T1, soft stress; and, T2, moderate stress) on the key functional properties [fatty acids, sugar alcohols, organic acids, minerals, total polyphenols content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AA)], sensory quality, and consumers' acceptance of table olives, cv. 'Manzanilla', was evaluated.A soft water stress, T1, led to table olives with the highest oil and dry matter contents, with the highest intensities of key sensory attributes and slightly, although not significant, higher values of consumer satisfaction degree. Besides, RDI in general (T1 and T2) slightly increased green colour, the content of linoleic acid, but decreased the content of phytic acid and some minerals.The soft RDI conditions are a good option for the cultivation of olive trees because they are environmentally friendly and simultaneously maintain or even improve the functionality, sensory quality, and consumer acceptance of table olives. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Jujube fruit is eaten mostly fresh, but may be dried (Chinese dates and tea) or processed into confectionary recipes in bread, cakes, compotes, and candy. Given that the quality of jujube available on the market differs on account of various factors such as geographical environment, cultivar, processing conditions, and storage conditions, and that, for consumers, flavour and nutrition properties of jujube represent the major parameters in determining the quality of jujube, the main goal of this study were to determine the main physico-chemical properties of jujube fruits, sugars and organic acids profiles, protein, mineral constituents, volatile composition and sensory profile of jujube fruits. This would allow breeders to select cultivars with higher levels of nutrients and also enable increasing dietary intake by consumers.Investigations showed that jujube fruit weight ranged from 4.8 to 29.3 g fruit(-1) . Four sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose and sorbitol) and four organic acids (citric, malic, ascorbic and succinic acids) were identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography in jujube fruits. Potassium, calcium and magnesium were the major mineral constituents in jujube fruits. Fifteen volatiles compounds were found in the aroma profile of jujube fruits (nine were aldehydes, three terpenes, one ester, one ketone and one linear hydrocarbon).The results showed that Spanish jujube cultivars studied are a good source of vitamin C, and they have a low content of Na. The jujube cultivar with the most appreciated quality by consumers was GAL; the GAL fruits were sweet, crunchy, and had high intensities of jujube ID and apple flavour a long after-taste. Therefore, jujube grown in Spain has a great potential to be exploited for functional foods. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

The colour quality of many fresh and processed fruits may influence consumer acceptance. Pomegranate acceptability depends on a combination of quality attributes related to physical–chemical and mechanical properties such as rind colour, sugar content, acidity, and flavour. This study was undertaken to investigate any correlation between the rind colour of pomegranates and the environmental temperature, as well as to study the evolution of colour parameters with the environmental temperature. The results confirmed a strong correlation between the colorimetric coordinates (L*, a*, b*, C* and h ab * ), measured during fruit development and maturation, and the maximum, mean and minimum temperatures. A high correlation coefficient of 0.9 indicated the significant effect of air temperature on rind colour development.

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare 'Clemenules' mandarin on fourteen rootstocks: 'Carrizo' citrange, 'Swingle' citrumelo, 'Cleopatra' mandarin, Macrophylla, Volkameriana, C-35 and eight new hybrids rootstocks developed at the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias in Valencia, Spain. Some organoleptic and nutritive parameters related to fruit quality (total soluble solids, total acidity, organic acids and sugars), the content of bioactive compounds (total phenolics) as well as the total antioxidant activity (TAA) due to hydrophilic (H-TAA) and lipophilic (L-TAA) compounds have been determined in Clementine juices. Results showed that rootstock plays an important role in determining the organoleptic and nutritive quality, as well as the concentration of bioactive compounds. Ripening index ranged from 16.9 to 24.2 and total acidity from 5.19 to 8.37 g citric acid L-1. The major organic acids detected were citric and tartaric acids and they varied among rootstocks too. Sucrose was the main sugar for all rootstocks. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic results were affected considerably by the rootstock. Given the differences on bioactive compounds concentration and antioxidant activity between rootstocks, these parameters should be included as an important factor in future breeding program to obtain new scion-stock combinations with enhanced bioactive compounds. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare, for the first time, white and black mulberry species in terms of main phytochemical, volatile composition and sensory profile characteristics in eight Spanish clones. The results showed that black and white mulberry species displayed significant different characteristics. PLS analysis has allowed grouping of the clones into four groups (i) MA1, MA2 and MN2, (ii) MN3 and MN4, (iii) MA3 and MA4, and (iv) MN1. Experimental results proved that Spanish mulberries have potential for fresh consumption due to their high antioxidant capacity (10.7-86.1 mg Trolox 100 g(-1)), polyphenol (76.7-180 mg gallic acid 100 g(-1)) and ellagic acid content (8.7-15.5 mg 100 g(-1)) as well as considerable amount of volatile compounds (35) with desirable attributes, which were scored high by a trained panel. Cultivars from the Morus nigra species seem to provide fruits with higher content of bioactive compounds and better aptitude for fresh consumption than Morus alba. Differences among the species should be attributed to genetics because they were cultivated under same conditions.

Very-early apricot cultivars are interesting owing to the fact that they will be available in markets before any other cultivar. In order to achieve good fruit quality, very-early apricots require appropriate size, weight and color, good balance of sugars and organic acids, proper content of bioactive compounds, relatively strong apricot aroma as well as acceptable sensory quality.Physical, chemical, antioxidant and sensory properties showed important variations among apricot cultivars. These differences were basically attributed to genetic reasons. Four very-early apricot cultivars were studied, namely 'Mirlo Blanco', 'Mirlo Anaranjado', 'Colorao' and 'Mogador'. All of them showed proper size and weight, but their contents of organic acids, sugars and bioactive compounds were low and the number of volatile compounds was also low. However, very-early apricots showed an appropriate sensory profile for fresh consumption.Regarding physical, chemical and volatile composition and sensory properties, very-early apricot cultivars could be recommended for fresh consumption. However, future research must be focused on increasing their contents of sugars, organic acids and bioactive and volatile compounds, perhaps via cultural practices such as deficit irrigation and/or mulching.

Background.Miguel Hernandez University (Spain) created a germplasm bank of the varieties of pomegranate from different Southeastern Spain localities in order to preserve the crop’s wide genetic diversity. Once this collection was established, the next step was to characterize the phenotype of these varieties to determine the phenotypic variability that existed among all the different pomegranate genotypes, and to understand the degree of polymorphism of the morphometric characteristics among varieties.Methods.Fifty-three pomegranate (Punica granatumL.) accessions were studied in order to determine their degree of polymorphism and to detect similarities in their genotypes. Thirty-one morphometric characteristics were measured in fruits, arils, seeds, leaves and flowers, as well as juice characteristics including content, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids and maturity index. ANOVA, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis showed that there was a considerable phenotypic diversity (and presumably genetic).Results.The cluster analysis produced a dendrogram with four main clusters. The dissimilarity level ranged from 1 to 25, indicating that there were varieties that were either very similar or very different from each other, with varieties from the same geographical areas being more closely related. Within each varietal group, different degrees of similarity were found, although there were no accessions that were identical. These results highlight the crop’s great genetic diversity, which can be explained not only by their different geographical origins, but also to the fact that these are native plants that have not come from genetic improvement programs. The geographic origin could be, in the cases where no exchanges of plant material took place, a key criterion for cultivar clustering.Conclusions.As a result of the present study, we can conclude that among all the parameters analyzed, those related to fruit and seed size as well as the juice’s acidity and pH had the highest power of discrimination, and were, therefore, the most useful for genetic characterization of this pomegranate germplasm banks. This is opposed to leaf and flower characteristics, which had a low power of discrimination. This germplasm bank, more specifically, was characterized by its considerable phenotypic (and presumably genetic) diversity among pomegranate accessions, with a greater proximity existing among the varieties from the same geographical area, suggesting that over time, there had not been an exchange of plant material among the different cultivation areas. In summary, knowledge on the extent of the genetic diversity of the collection is essential for germplasm management. In this study, these data may help in developing strategies for pomegranate germplasm management and may allow for more efficient use of this germplasm in future breeding programs for this species.

PubMedID: 22414932 Commercial juices of sweet pomegranates and fresh juices of sour-sweet pomegranates were analysed for organic acids, sugars, antioxidant activity, volatile composition, sensory profile and consumer liking. Organic acids and sugars were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography, while volatiles were extracted using hydrodistillation and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector. Malic acid was predominant in sweet juices while citric acid in sour-sweet samples. Fructose and glucose were found as the predominant sugars in all juices. A total of 18 compounds were found in pomegranate aroma profile, including monoterpenes, aldehydes, alcohols, monoterpenoids and linear hydrocarbons; the most abundant compounds were 3-carene, ?-terpinene and ?-terpineol. The total concentration of volatiles ranged from 2.0 up to 5.1-mg/L, with commercial samples presenting higher total concentrations due to the presence of peel volatiles. The high potential of sour-sweet pomegranate fruits for the juice industry was supported by (a) the high values of positive attributes, such as colour and fresh pomegranate flavour and (b) the high overall liking of consumers. © 2012 Author(s).

The study focused on characterizing the 10 major Moroccan cultivars to acknowledge the quality and bioactive compounds of the fruits. The following determinations were assessed: pomegranate fruit maturity index, which truly defines juice taste, as well as organic acids and sugar contents, total phenols, and antioxidant activity of pomegranate juice. The cultivar per se (genotype) behaved as the most influencing factor conditioning pomegranate sugar and organic acids profiles, antioxidant activity, and total phenolics. The assessment of pomegranate chemical compositions implies the great potential of Moroccan cultivars for both fresh market and fruit processing. In fact, the "Hamde” sour cv. seems particularly suitable for juice production because of its high phenolics content. Additionally, the presence of bioactive compounds in pomegranate juices may encourage their consumption for potential health benefits. Practical Application: The cultivar per se (genotype) behaved as the most influencing factor conditioning pomegranate sugar and organic acids profiles, antioxidant activity, and total phenolics. Given the divergence observed on bioactive compounds concentrations and antioxidant activity among evaluated cultivars, the genotype factor should be considered as the most influencing factor in future breeding programs to enhance the synthesis of beneficial bioactive compounds.

6 Pags., 6 Tabls., Peach (Prunus persica L.) is the most important stone fruit tree grown in Spain and is the second most important fruit crop in Europe. The influence of eight Prunus rootstocks (GF-677, Krymsk® 86, PADAC 97-36, PADAC 99-05, PADAC 9912-03, PADAC 0024-01, PAC 0021-01 and PAC 0022-01) on vigor, yield and fruit quality traits of 'UFO 3' flat peach cultivar was studied. The highest trunk cross sectional area was exhibited by GF-677 and the lowest by PADAC 99-05, while intermediate values were found on the other rootstocks. The highest yield efficiency was found on PADAC 99-05, PAC 0021-01, PAC 0022-01 and PADAC 0024-01 and the lowest was shown on Krymsk® 86. The fruit quality parameters measured were color, fruit and stone weights, equatorial diameter, pulp thickness, pulp yield, firmness, pH, soluble solids content and titratable acidity. 'UFO 3' grafted on GF-677 resulted in the largest fruit weight, while the smallest was on PADAC 99-05. Fruits of 'UFO 3' showed a tendency to have higher firmness, higher red colored skin and RI when grafted on PADAC 99-05.

Carrizo citrange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb. × Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.] and Cleopatra mandarin (C. reshni Hort. ex Tan.) are the most important rootstocks used in Spain, but they are problematic and it is necessary to search for new rootstocks with better all-round performance. The performance of 'Lane Late' navel orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb] on ten rootstocks was determined in the South of the province of Alicante (Spain). They are Carrizo citrange, Cleopatra mandarin and eight new hybrids obtained at the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias in Valencia (Spain): 020324 [Troyer citrange (C. sinensis × P. trifoliata) × Cleopatra mandarin], Forner-Alcaide 418 (F&A 418) [Troyer citrange × common mandarin (C. deliciosa Ten.)], Forner-Alcaide 13 (F&A 13), 030118, 030127 and 030131 (Cleopatra mandarin × P. trifoliata) and 030212 and 030230 (Cleopatra mandarin × Troyer citrange). Soil is clay loam, with pH 8.5 and electric conductivity in the saturation extract at 25ºC of 5.79 mS cm-1. Yield was weighed during the first nine harvests, fruit quality was determined in the last three. Pre-harvest fruit-drop was controlled for the 4th until 9th harvests. The trees of 'Lane Late' navel budded on Cleopatra mandarin were the tallest (2.5 m) and F&A 418 (1.6 m) the shortest of all rootstocks tested. Trees on 030131 hybrid and Carrizo citrange rootstocks had the highest mean yield (81.2 and 80.3 kg per tree per year respectively), while trees on F&A 418 produced the lowest mean yield (22.3 kg per tree per year). Trees on 030131, 020324 and 030212 had the highest yield efficiency as total cumulative yield per cubic meter of canopy volume (62.1, 58.7 and 55.9 kg m-3 respectively) whereas trees on 030127, F&A 418 and Cleopatra mandarin had lower yield efficiencies (45.0, 44.4 and 38.6 kg m-3, respectively). Pre-harvest fruit-drop was lower in trees grafted on Cleopatra mandarin (24.62 %) and on 030212 (26.61 %), and was also low on F&A 418 (27.76 %), 020324 (28.14 %) and 030230 (29.18 %) rootstocks. Trees on Carrizo citrange and 030127 experienced important fruit-drop (40.24 % and 38.27 % respectively). Trees on F&A 418 had the highest fruit weight and fruit size whereas trees on 030118 induced the lowest ones. The ripeness index was the highest on F&A 13 (18.3) and lowest on F&A 418 (15.3), 030212 (15.3).